Collins pleads not guilty to charges in deputy's death

Patricia Ann Collins, 23, of Richmond Hill is facing trial on vehicular homicide and DUI charges in the two-car crash that killed Bryan County sheriff’s Deputy Sgt. Robert Warren “Bobby” Crapse on June 15 of last year.

On Monday, Collins pleaded not guilty to vehicular homicide and related charges.

Crapse, 32, was killed when Collins’ Toyota Corolla struck him head-on in his police cruiser while traveling the wrong way on Interstate 95, the Georgia State Patrol said.

Minutes before the crash, Savannah-Chatham police 911 operators received several calls from drivers who reported seeing a white car traveling at a high rate of speed the wrong way in the northbound lane that night.

Crapse, who lived in Ellabell and had been working traffic control in south Bryan County, was headed to the north end of the county when the crash occurred, said Bryan County Sheriff Clyde Smith.

Crapse was a K9 officer with Seppe, his K9 partner, at the time of the crash.

The dog escaped serious injury and has been retired to live with Crapse’s widow, Ashli, and their three children.

A GSP report showed Collins’ blood-alcohol level was 0.139 after the crash. It is illegal to drive in Georgia with a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 or greater.

Collins, who was severely injured in the crash and has graduated from a wheelchair to a walker, appeared in court with her attorneys Monday, Steven Beauvais and Alex Zipperer.

She remains free on $25,000 bond.

Pre-trial hearing dates and a tentative trial date remain to be scheduled by Walmsley.